New Jersey-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Catalent will lay off nearly 350 employees in Maryland, according to the state Department of Labor. 

According to a Work Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN), the company plans to cut 320 employees from its two Anne Arundel County locations, and another 32 from an office in Baltimore. 

A spokesperson for the company said the workforce reduction is "due to an unexpected shift in demand from a large customer."

"It is never easy to see talented colleagues leave Catalent, and we remain committed to providing them transition support as they manage this change," the company said in a statement. 

The layoffs will go into effect in mid-October, the company said. 

What is Catalent?  

According to our partner at The Baltimore Banner, Catalent is the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in Maryland. The company is known for collaborating with AstraZeneca and Moderna to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. 

The company has two gene therapy facilities in Anne Arundel County and one in the University of Maryland, Baltimore's BioPark. 

Catalent has a total of 17 locations in the U.S., along with offices in Asia, Canada and Europe, The Banner reported.

According to The Banner, the company expanded to the BioPark facility in 2019 and to Anne Arundel County in 2021. 

The company has had several rounds of layoffs in recent years, including cutting 135 people in Maryland due to a plant closure in 2022. 

Impact of Catalent layoffs 

According to Maryland Delegate Stuart Schmidt, who represents the Anne Arundel County area, 316 workers losing their jobs will have a huge impact. 

"My heart truly breaks for each and every one of these employees, and truly my heart goes out to each of their families that they're able to go through this," he told WJZ Friday. 

"If there's anything that we can do as your state delegate representing Anne Arundel County, please do not hesitate to reach out," he added. "It really is an important time to utilize all of your resources, whether it's at the local, county, or state level. Now is the time to utilize those resources to the best of your ability."

A spokesperson for Catalent confirmed that the 350 employees will receive severance and outplacement support.